While my husband, Billy, and I have always talked about international travel, we have not been able to do that together until this past summer. We were invited to join a group of pastors and their wives on a trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland, where we explored the island’s beauty and learned about their local churches, particularly in rural areas. During the flurry of gathering what we needed for the trip, I gleefully spent time researching every place and restaurant on our itinerary. I pored over travel videos, background history, and even menus in anticipation of this once-in-a-lifetime trip.
While my research certainly did not replace experiencing those places in person, it did prepare me for what I was going to see on that beautiful Island and added to the anticipation of the trip. As Christians, we have been promised a trip of our own. God plans to send Jesus back to earth to defeat sin and create a new earthly home for His people.
I know the thought of reading the Book of Revelation can be intimidating, but it is in the Bible for a purpose. Revelation 1:3 tells us, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” God has gifted Christians the book of Revelation to build the anticipation and understanding of what is to come. In this prophetic book, we see a hope, a promise, and a purpose for us as one body of believers.
We have HOPE!
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new’.” Revelation 21:3-5a.
God created a beautiful and perfect world where He could have a personal relationship with His creation (Genesis 1). When you think about people throughout history who have had a personal encounter with God, who comes to your mind? Perhaps you thought of Adam and Eve, Noah, Moses, Abraham, Sarah, David, Job, or Paul. You, sweet sister, should be added to that list, and so should every follower of Christ today! Throughout the history of Scripture, we see an active and present God working for the good of His people as He redeems us from our brokenness of sin and brings us into His family.
God has not changed, and He has not stopped being active and present with us today! We have the same hope today as they had in Scripture, and that is the hope that this is not our home. This broken, sinful life is not the end of our story. The end of our story is the fulfillment of the redemption God started back in Genesis chapter 3, when Adam and Eve brought sin into the world. We live in the hope that God’s plan to have a personal relationship with His creation in a perfect world, free from pain, suffering, and tears, is one step closer to being fulfilled every day.
We have a PROMISE!
“And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.” Revelation 19:20, 21
There are days it feels like sin has won and evil is taking over the world. We are in a constant state of mourning for the lives that are taken through violence every day. There is so much division and fighting within our country, our world, and even our fellow believers. That chaos that entered the world with Eve’s act of rebellion against God often feels like it is consuming us. But we have a promise! Just like the Israelites held onto the promise that God has a promised land that would be their permanent home (Genesis 15:18-21), we have been given a promise that God will defeat sin once and for all and give us a new home in a perfect earth (Isaiah 65:17-25; John 14:2-3).
God had a plan to redeem His people, yes, but He also plans to redeem our home! If you have not read in Scripture the glimpse God gives about our coming home, I would encourage you to read Revelation chapter 21. There, we get a small understanding of the magnificent home God has promised each one of us! Imagine a home beyond any beauty we have ever seen on this earth, where sin will no longer exist (Revelation 21:27), and we will worship and serve the Lord (Revelation 22:3), and fellowship as one (Revelation 7:9). Look around you at your fellow believers! That promise is for each one of us!
We have a PURPOSE!
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
I have a long list of people I wish I could have taken with us on our trip to Ireland. It was a fantastic experience, but it would have been even sweeter if I could have been there with even more people that I love. Fellow sister in Christ, we have the hope and promise of eternal life that is not forcefully taken or even earned. That eternal life in a new earth with God is a gift that anyone can have. Jesus’ final words to His disciples, to all of us, were to give us a purpose.
God has given us authority through His Spirit to go out together to bring people along on this trip of an eternal lifetime that He has promised us. He has given us fellow Christians, each other, to share in this purpose. Someday, Jesus is coming back (Matthew 22:36-34; Revelation 22:7). Each day is a gift that we cannot waste as we share the good news about God’s offer of redemption. Let’s work together as the body of Christ, not in competition for sharing the good news, but in cooperation so everyone we come in contact with has an opportunity for life instead of death (Revelation 20:11-15).
Taking it Further: When things get hard, what do your actions or your emotions tell you about where you are putting your hope? Are there any fellow pastors’ wives or believers that you can partner with to share the gospel where you live?
